Process of and machine for winding rolls of paper towels and toilet-paper, &amp;c.



W. S. CRANDELL.

PROCESS OF AND MACHINE FOR WINDING ROLLS OF PAPER IDWELS AND TOILETPAPER, &c. I APPLICATION FILED DEC. 16, 1918.

1,353,634. Patented-Sept. 21, 19201 5 SHEETS-SHLET lw s. CRANDELL.PROCESS OF AND MACHINE FOR WINDING ROLLS OF PAPER TOWELS AND TOILETPAPER, &c.

\ APPLICATION FILED DEC. 16, I918. 1,353,634. I

5 swans-earn 2.

Patented Sept. 21,1920.

A v w. s. CRANDELL. PROCESS OF AND MACHINE FOR WINDING ROLLS OF PAPERTOWELS AND TOILET PAPER, 8L0.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- l6, l9l8. 1,358,634.

5 SHEETSSHEET 3.

Patented Sept. 21, 1920.

w. s. CRANDELL.

PROCESS OF AND MACHINE FOR WINDING ROLLS OF PAPER TOWELS AND TOILETPAPER, &c.'

Patented Sept. 21,1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I6, 1918.

, W. S. CRANDELL. PROCESS OF AND MACHINE FOR WINDING ROLLS OF PAPERTOWELS AND TOILET PA PER, aw. Patented Sept. 21, 1920.

' APPLICATION FILED DEC. 16, 1918.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5- S AL MW Q E m S a 3 R 9 mm ma & u 1 a k \w UNITEDSTATS PATENT omcs.

WILLIS S. CRANDELL, OF ELSMERE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ALBANY PERFORATEDWRAPPING PAPER COMPANY, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PROCESS OF AND MACHINE FOR WINDING ROLLS OF PAPER TOWELS ANDTOILET-PAPER, 8w.

Application filed December 16, 1918. Serial No. 266,862.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIS S. CRANDELL, of Elsmere', in the county ofAlbany and-in the State of New York, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Processes of and Machines for Winding Rolls ofPaper Towels and Toilet-Paper, &c., and do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The object of my invention has been to provide a process of and-machinefor winding rolls of paper towels and toilet paper, etc., which shallhave the advantages, among others, of making relatively small and tightrolls; of avoiding to .a considerable extent and reducing the breakageof the web of paper from which said rolls are formed as compared withmachines in general use at present; of supporting the web of papersubstantially throughout its course through the machine and of providinga machine which is simple and readily operated and adjusted, and to suchends my invention consists in the process of and machine for windingrolls of paper, hereinafter specified. My invention, both as to theprocess aspect of it and the machine aspect of it, is capable ofembodiment in many different forms. While, therefore, I shall illustratemy invention by the best embodiment known to me, such embodiment is tobe regarded only as typical of many possible embodiments, and myinvention is not to be confined thereto.

In the manufactureof rolls of paper towels and toilet paper, it iscustomary to wind the roll of paper coming from the paperforming machineinto a large roll called a jumbo roll, from which rolls that are usuallyboth smaller in diameter and narrower in width are to be formed, to makerolls of towels or of toilet paper. My invention relates to a machinefor making the latter type of rolls.

55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross section along the line 66. of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a detail vertical section along the line 7-7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a broken horizontal section in the axial plane of the rollerand Fig. 9 is a detail view of the roll upon which the paper is wound. 1

My process and the principal operative parts of my machine will first beexplained in outline (by reference to Fig. 1), after which theexplanation in detail will be more easily understood. In the saidfigure, the web 1 is shown as led from a jumbo roll 2, (having an axle3), preferably over apinch roll 4 to the surface of a drum 5, around theperiphery of which the web travels, the web being wound upon are-windingshaft 6 to form a re-winding roll 7 of towels or toilet paper. In itspassage around the drum 5 the web is preferably cut transversely, (butnot completely severed) by serrating knives 8 carried by a serratingroll 9,which knives are received in grooves 10 in the drum 5. A secondpinch roll 11 is preferably provided on the opposite side of the drum 5from-the pinch roll 4, said rolls serving to hold the web against thesurface of the drum and the first pinch roll also serving to support theweb in its passage from the jumbo roll to the Winding drum. The paperwound upon the re-winding shaft 6 is severed longitudinally by annularknives or cutter disks 12 carried by a slitting roll 13. The slittingroll is driven at a faster surface speed than the winding drum andtherefore tends to roll the paper tightly upon the re-windingv shaft,and thus tends to make a relatively small, compact roll of a givenlength of paper web.

Taking up now, the detailed description of the machine, and the processpractised thereby In the said machine there are side-frames 14 on whichare mounted the bearings of the various rolls before-mentioned. The axleof the jumbo roll is laid in open bearings 15 formed oncarriages 16,each of which is supported by a pair of rollers 17 on a way 18. Each wayis pivoted, preferably at its rearward end, on a fulcrum 19 mounted onone of the side-frames so that the forward end of the way can be raisedto cause the carriage to tend to roll toward the winding- Patented Sept.21, 1920.

drum. Each way is preferably provided with an arm or other projection(which in the present instance is in the form of a sector 20) which, byan adjust-able connection with the side-frame, can be made to supportthe way at any desired inclination. In thepresent instance I have shownthe said sector as provided with a curved slot 21 through which passes abolt 22 that is fastened in the side-frame. A threaded rod 23 is securedon said bolt by an eye 23 the said rod itself passing through a hole inan car 24 formed on the said segment, and a hand-nut 25 being threadedupon the said rod and support ing the said ear thereon. By turning thehand-nut, the ear, and with it the segment and ways, can be raised orlowered. In the present instance, each carriage is provided with ribs orflanges 16 which project into grooves formed in the ways, and thus thecarriages are prevented from rising off the ways.

As a further means for causing the jumbo roll to tend to move toward thewinding roll, a chain or other form of flexible connection 26 isattached to each carriage and is passed rearward (toward thewindingdrum) and around a guide-pulley 27, and thence forward and aroundanother guidepulley 28 from which the chain hangs vertically, andsupports a weight. By using a proper inclination of the ways or asuitable weight 29, or both, the jumbo roll can be forced toward thedrum so that it will always be in contact either with the pinch roll 4or with the drum, if, as might be done, the pinch roll were omitted. Asthe diameter of the jumbo roll decreases, its axle is moved forward sothat its periphery is always in contact with the pinch roll or thewinding-drum. This arrangement always affords uninterrupted support forthe web in its travel from the jumbo roll to the winding-drum and thuseliminates a frequent cause of breakage of the web. The winding-drum 5is mounted in stationary bearings in the side-frames, and in theillustrated embodiment of my invention it carries a driving pulley 30 bywhich the en tire machine is driven. Pinch rolls 1 and 11 are each somounted as to be movable toward and from the winding-drum to maintain aconstant pressure against the winding-drum notwithstanding any possiblevariations in the periphery of the said drum or in the thickness of theweb of paper to be wound, and the said pinch rolls are preferablyyieldingly pressed against the winding-drum. In the present instance,the pinch rolls are journaled in the upper ends of arms 31 which arefulcrumed on pins 32 that are supported by the side-frames, and each armis yieldingly pressed toward the winding-drum by a spring 33 mounted ona bolt 34 which passes through an opening in the said arm and through aflange or Web on the side-frame, a nut 34 on the said bolt restingagainst the said flange and serving to adjust the pressure of the springagainst the arm. The serrating roll 9 is journaled in the side-framesbelow the drum 5 from which it is driven by gears 35 and 36 mount edonthe axles of said rolls. The serrating roll is, in the presentinstance, shown as provided with three serrated knives 37 havingsaw-tooth edges, which knives enter the grooves 10 on the winding-drumand partly but not wholly sever the web of paper transversely. The pinchrolls, by holding the web tightly against the surface of the drum, andthe slitting roll 13, by traveling at a faster surface speed than thewinding-drum, hold the web tight across the grooves so that it resiststhe tendency of the serrating knives to push it into the grooves andcauses a good cutting action to take place. The re-winding shaft 6simply lies upon the surface, preferably the upper surface of the drum,and preferably by having spring journals in its ends extending betweenand held in place by two vertical ribs or splines, so that it can riseas the roll of paper wound upon it increases in diameter, but it ispreferably not driven by power applied to it. The spring journals recedeinto the end of the shaft when placed in the machine and pass throughslots in the opposite spline whenremoved. The slitting roll 13 con sistsof a shaft 13 upon which is threaded a series of rolls 13 having theannular knives or cutter disks 12 between them. I desire to drive theslitting roll so that its surface speed shall be greater than that ofthe winding-drum, and consequently so that its action will be to tend towind the roll being formed upon the re-winding shaft tightly to make arelatively hard and small roll, and I also desire to permit the slittingroll to recede from the re-winding roll as the diameter of the rollbeing formed increases. For this purpose, I .mount. the slitting roll inbearings formed in a vertical, slidable gate or frame consisting in thepresent instance of bars 38 (in the lower ends of which the said shaftis journaled), which bars are mounted in vertical guides formed inuprights 39 on the side-frames, the said bars being connected by a brace38 in order to drive the slitting roll. The shaft of the said roll isextended through a slot 39 formed in one of the uprights 39, and theextended end of the shaft is, in the present instance, shown asjournaled in a bearing supported by a bracket 40, which extends from thegate or slide 38 around the upright into position to support the saidbearing. The shaft 13 of the slitting roll is provided with a sprocketwheel 41, and in order to drive the said wheel and yet permit the latterto move vup and down with the gate, I have provided the followingarrangement: A sprocket chain 42 passes around a driving sprocket 43,that is frictionally secured upon the shaft .5 of the winding drum, and

' around a guiding sprocket 44, journaled on a stud secured to theupright 39. The frictional drive for the sprocket gear 43 is in theresent instance shown as consistin of a hu 45 fixed on the said shaftand agalnst whichthe sprocket gear 43 rests, a preferably fiber disk 46restlng against the opposite face of the sprocket gear, and a split nut47 threaded on the shaft 5 and adapted to be secured in adjustedposition by a screw 5 by which the split can be drawn together. Betweenthe driving sprocket gear 43 and the guide pulley 44 the sprocket chain42 passes over a sheave 47 mounted on a plate 48, which latter alsocarries a flange 49 that is adapted to bear against the side of thechain opposite the sprocket wheel 41 on the slitting roll shaft and tohold the chain so that the latter sprocket gear will always be incontact with it and be driven by it, no matter in what position towardor away from the winding-drum the slitting shaft may be. In order tokeep the said adjustment and allow for wear, the plate 48 is adjustablymounted on the frame by being set against a vertical flange or plate 39on the upright 39 to which flange the plate 48 is secured as by bolts 39in one of said parts and passing through slots in the other of saidparts.

By this construction, the driving sprocket gear 43, rotating with theshaft of the drum, tends to drive the slitting roll at a surface speedgreater than that of the outermost layer of paper on the roll beingformed, and the friction drive before described permits the gear 43 toyield so that, while the paper on the roll being formed is put undertension and is rolled tightly, it is not torn.

A relatively hard, compact and desirable roll is thus formed. withoutbreaking the paper.

It is in order that the slitting roll may be raised to permitthere-winding shaft 6 with its rolls of paper thereon to be removed fromthe machine and the empty r e-winding shaft replaced in the machine,that the slitting roll shaft has been mounted in the before-describedgate or slide, and means have been provided for raising and lowering thelatter. In the present instance, the means consist of racks 50 formed onthe bars 38, in which the slitting roll shaft is j ournaled, pinions 51mounted on a shaft 52 that is journaled on the uprights 39, and meansfor turning the said shaft. The latter means shown consist of a sheave53 having a sprocket chain 54 wound thereon in such a direction that thepull of the sprocket chain shall tend to raise the gate, while theweight of the gate shall tend to wind the sprocket chain up on thesheave. The sprocket chain 54 is shown as connected to a treadle 55adjusting the said weight the desired pressure of the slitting roll uponthe rolls of paper will result. The bearings of the shaft 52 are madeadjustable so that the slitting roll can be adjusted to bear evenly onall the rolls being formed on the re-winding shaft. In the presentinstance, the said bearings 59 are shown as adjustably secured to avertical face of the uprights 39 and resting upon vertical screws 60',which pass through lugs 61 secured to the uprights.

Stating in full the operation of the illustrated embodiment of myinvention: The shaft of the jumbo roll is laid in the bearings of thecarriage 16 (andis preferably secured therein by means not necessary todescribe), and the web of paper 1 is led over the pinch roll 4 andbetween the pinch roll and the drum 5, and then under the drum andbetween it and the serrating roll 9, and upward around the drum betweenthe rear pinch roll 11 and the drum, and isthen rolled around there-winding shaft sufliciently to engage it therewith. The gate which,during the latter operation, has been held elevated by pressure of thefoot on the treadle 55 is allowed to descend until the slide down theways 18 toward the.drum 5, and this tendency is increased by the pull ofthe weights on the sprocket chains 26. Thus the jumbo roll is heldagainst the pinch roll 4, and the latter serves to support the paper inits passage to the drum. The pinch rolls also hold the paper smoothlyagainst the drum, preventing its wrinkling, the pressure of the springs33 against the arms carrying the pinch rolls assisting. As the webpasses around under the drum, it is serrated at proper intervals by theknives 37 carried by the serr ating roll, which enter the grooves 10 inthe drum, the paper being held tightly across the said grooves by thepinch rolls and by the pull of the slitting roll and the friction of theshaft of the jumbo roll, so that the serrating knives cleanly penetratethe paper instead of merely tucking it into the said grooves. Thegearing for driving the slitting roll tends to drive it at a highersurface speed than that of the drum, so that said roll pulls the paperforward and winds it tighter around the re-winding shaft as well aspressing the paper roll being formed between itself and the drum, and:thusa relatively hard, compact roll is formed on the re-winding shaft,the yielding or friction drive of the slitting roll, however, preventingthe slitting roll from tearing the paper.

The slitting knives slit the web longitudinally so that instead of asingle roll of the width of the paper, a number of separate rolls areformed on the re-windmg shaft. The drive of the slitting roll shaft,consisting as it does of the sprocket wheel ll engaging the verticalstretch of the sprocket chain 42, drives the slitting roll equally well,regardless of the fact that the increasing diameter of the roll beingformed causes the slitting roll to rise. The driving'gear of theslitting ro-ll also causes a uniform pulling action of the surface ofthe slitting roll on the surface of the roll being formed, this pull notchanging as the roll being formed increases in diameter. This is muchsimpler than any arrangement for driving the re -winding shaft bygearing, since in the latter case it would be necessary to change thespeed transmitted by the gearing as the diameter of the roll beingdriven increased. When the rolls being formed, however, reach thedesired diameter, the web is severed, the slitting roll is raised bypressure on the treadle 55, and the re-winding shaft is lifted out ofits vertical guides.

The rolls which have been formed are then stripped off the re-windingshaft, and the web is again started around the re-winding shaft and theformation of new rolls is be- Among the advantages of my invention maybe stated the following:

The machine is one of comparative simplicity. The serrating, slittingand winding are all done in contact with the one drum 5,

against the surface of which the paper is held during the functions ofserrating, slitting and winding.

The. web of paper being supported throughout its entire length, theliability to breakage is reduced to a minimum.

As the jumbo roll is, by the travel of the carriage, always kept incontact with the pinch roll, notwithstanding the constant decrease indiameter of the jumbo roll, such decrease in diameter does not result inany gap which the web has to span unsupported.

The pinch rolls tend to keep the paper smooth against the drum andprevent its wrinkling, and also to hold it under tension across thegrooves in the drum so that good action of the serrating cutters isobtained.

While the slitting roll can be raised and lowered to permitthere-winding shaft to be removed from and placed in the machine and toallow for increase ofv diameter of the rolls being formed, its drivingmechanism is comparatively very simple.

The driving of the slitting roll at a faster surface speed than that ofthe drum results in. a relatively hard and small roll being formed andby mechanism which is comparatively very simple, and yet the yieldingdrive for the slitting roll prevents breakage of the web being operatedupon.

The stock or parent roll being always in contact with and driven by thenearer pinch roll or the drum, is driven at the same surface speed asthe pinch roll or the drum and also at the same speed as the roll beingstock or parent roll, and in stopping, the

momentum'of the latter roll would carry it forward faster than the pinchroll or drum, and this would pile up the web and requirethat the stockor parent roll should be turned backward until the web was just 5 va webof paper thereto, grooves in said roll transverse to said web, arotatably mounted serrating knife adapted to cooperate with saidgrooves, rolls adapted to press said web against said drum or roll onopposite sides of said knife, and springs tending to press said lastmentioned roll against said drum or roll.

3. In a roll forming machine, the combination of a drum or roll, meansfor guiding a web of paper thereto, grooves in said roll transverse tosaid web, a rotatably mounted serrating knife adapted to cooperate withsaid grooves, rolls adapted to press said web against said drum or rollon opposite sides of said knife, springs tending to press said lastmentioned rolls against said drum or roll, and means for holding a stockroll in contact with one of said last mentioned rolls.

4. In a roll forming machine, the combination of a drum or roll, meansfor guiding a web of paper thereto, said drum or roll having a revolublecutter adapted to out said web against said drum or roll transversely tothe web, a shaft supported by said drum or roll and upon which said webis adapted to be wound to form a roll, and a roll adapted to press theroll being formed a ainst said drum or roll.

5. In a roll forming machine, the combination of a drum or roll, meansfor guiding a web of paper thereto, said drum or roll having a revolublecutter adapted to cut saidgweb against said drum or roll transversely tothe web, a shaft supported by said drum or roll and upon which said webis' 'having; a revoluble cutter adapted to out said web against saiddrum or roll transversely to the Web, a shaft supported by said drum orroll and upon which said web is adapted to be wound to form a roll, aroll adapted to press the roll being formed against said drum or roll,and means for yieldingly driving said last mentioned roll at a surfacespeed greater than that of said first mentioned drum or roll.

7; In a roll forming machine, the combi- "nation of a drum or roll,means for guiding a Web of paper around said drum or roll,

said drum or roll having grooves transverse to said web of paper, arevoluble serrating knife adapted in cooperation with said grooves toserrate the web, rolls engaging said web upon opposite sides of saidknife,

means for yieldingly pressing said rolls against said first mentioneddrum or roll, a shaft supported by said drum or roll and about whichsaid web, is adapted to be wound, means for guiding said shaft andpermitting movement radial to said drum or roll, and a roll carryinglongitudinal slitting cutters and adapted to bear against the roll beingformed on said shaft.

I 8. In a roll forming machine, the combi- 7 nation of a drum or roll,meansfor guiding a web of paper around saiddrum or roll, said drum orroll having grooves transverse to said web of paper, a revolubleserrating knife adapted in cooperation with said grooves to serrate theweb, rolls engaging said web upon opposite sides of said knife, meansfor yieldingly pressing said rolls against said first mentioned drum orroll, a shaft about which said web is adapted to be Wound, means forguiding said shaft and permitting movement radial to said drum or Iroll, a roll carrying longitudinal slitting cutters and adapted to bearagainst the roll being formed on said shaft, and means for driving saidroll at a surface speed greater than that of said first mentioned drumor roll.

9. In a roll forming machine, the combinationio'f a drum or roll, meansfor guiding a web of paper around said drum or roll, said drum or rollhaving grooves transverse to said web of paper, a revoluble'serratingknife adapted in cooperation with said grooves to serrate the Web, rollsengaging said web upon 0 posite sides of said knife, means for yielingly pressing said rolls against said first mentioned drum or roll, ashaft about which said web is adapted to be wound, means for guidingsaid shaft and permitting movement radial to said drum or roll,-a rollcarrying longitudinal slitting cutters and adapted to bear against theroll being formed on the said shaft, and means for yieldingly drivingsaid roll at a surface speed greater than that of said first mentioneddrum or roll.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this26th day of November, 1918.

JOHN H. EHMANY, HARRY L. AoKnR.

